Amusement device for exhibiting automobiles.



H.L.0URRAN. AMUSEMENT DEVICE POR EXHIBITING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 26, 1911. 1 ,025,456. Patented May 7, 1912.-

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, D. I?.`

H.L.GURRAN. AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOB, BXHIBITING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1911.

- Patented May 7, 1912.

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l|lv 1 COLUMBIA PLNOGRAPM C0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

HAR-RY I.. GUREAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 EDWIN E. KELLOGG AND ONE-HALF TO HENRY L. GILLESPIE, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEIVIENT DEVICE FOR EXI-IIBITING AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Application led August 26, 1911. Serial No. 646,271.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, HARRY L. CURRAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices for Exhibiting Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to an amusement device adapted to exhibit automobiles in rapid motion which I term a motordrome.

Gne ot the objects has been to produce such exhibition means in small space and in compact form permitting a full view by spectators and at the same time allowing the automobiles on exhibition to go at high speed.

The novel features of the device will be apparent from the following description taken in. connection with the drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross section of a building having my invention applied thereto; and Fig. 9. is a plan view ot the device.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 my amusement device may be applied to an ordinary building having a main floor 1 supported in the usual way by posts 2 and the building may be provided with a cover or root 3 if desired. The main floor 1 is provided with an opening of curved outline and it L.is preferably made circular as shown. Below the circular opening in the main floor I place a depressed floor 4 which is considerably below the main floor and which may rest on any suitable supports or on the ground so long as this floor is made lirm and sutliciently strong to support automobiles. A track-way 5 extends at an angle on the edge ot the opening in the main loor down to the depressed floor. It is preferably ormed by beams 6 extending downward at an angle covered with a board floor, and these beams are braced and supported in any suitable way, the braces 7 8 and 9 being shown tor this purpose. The trackway 5 has an upper portion extending down to the point 10 which is straight in cross section and which is sutlciently wide to receive automobiles in motion, and in practice I make this portion of the tracloway at an angle of about 50 to the horizontal. The joint between this upper portion and the depressed floor is bridged by a lower portion 11 which is placed at a less angle to the horizontal so that the automobiles may pass from the depressed floor to the upper portion of the track-way without encountering the sharp angle made by the upper portion of the track-way with the depressed floor. This bottom portion 11 is made like the upper portion of the trackway and the track-way, as well as .the depressed vfloor, is made of boards of equal thickness so as to make a smooth surface and they are preferably laid diagonal. Around the upper margin ot the track-way I place a guard 12 which may be in the form oit ya 12 inch board and which serves to prevent the automobile from accidentally running off the track.

The spectators will occupy seats 13 on a raised inclined plattform on the main tloor around the track as shown. and a railing 14 will surround the opening in the main floor so as to prevent spectators from accidentally getting in the exhibition space. In order to admit the automobiles to the track and to the depressed floor I make use of a portable run-way 15 which extends over the edge of the circular opening in the main floor down to the depressed floor 4 at such an angle that automobiles may pass up and down it. In practice I have made the circular opening in the main lloor 84 Jfeet in diameter and the inclined track-way at the bottom is 64 feet in diameter, but it will, of course, be understood that the invention is not limited to this exact size.

By the above described construction an automobile on the Hoor 4 may acquire considerable speed in circling around the Hoor and it will then pass up onto the upper portion of the track-way 5 and, owing to its inclination and construction, the machine may go at very high speed notwithstanding the very limited space in which it is moving and it is at all times in full view of the spectators.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a smooth level floor, of a circular track at an angle of about 50 to said floor adapted to receive and support running automobiles, and a narrow intermediate track bridging the joint between said floor and circular track, the said intermediate track being at a less angle to the floor.

2. In a device ofthe class described, the

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combination with a smooth level floor, of a circular track at an angle of about 50 to said floor adapted to receive and support running automobiles, a narrow intermediate track bridging the joint between said floor and circular track, the said intermediate track being at a less angle to the floor, and a continuous guard projecting from said circular track around its upper'edge.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a smooth level floor, of a circular track at an angle of about 50 to said floor adapted to receive and support running automobiles, a narrow intermediate track bridging the joint between said floor and circular track, the said intermediate track being at a less angle to the ioor, a continuous guard projecting from said circular track around its upper edge, and removable means for conveying automobiles into said device on said floor.

4. An amusement device of the class indicated comprising a main floor having an opening therein curved in outline, a depressed floor below the opening in theV main floor, and an inclined curved track adapted to receive and support running automobiles connecting said floors.

5. An amusement device of the class indicated comprising a main floor having an opening therein curved in outline, a depressed fioor below the opening in the main floor, a curved track for automobiles connecting said floors at the margin of said opening, said track being inclined and the upper portion being at substantially an angle of 50 to the horizontal, a guard along the top edge of said track, and supports and braces for said main floor and track.

6. An amusement device of the class indicated comprising a main ioor having an opening therein curved in outline, a depressed floor below the opening in the main ioor, a curved track for automobiles connecting said ioors at the margin of said opening inclined to the horizontal, the upper portion of said track being straight in cross section for a su'licient distance to accommodate an automobile and the lower portion being at a less angle to the horizontal and bridging the joint between said upper portion and said depressed floor, a guard around the upper edge of said track, and supports and braces for said main Hoor and track.

In testimony whereof I atx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. CUR-RAN.

Witnesses B. V. NORTON, A. R. BLACKIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

